Spying The Spy
by ilovetvalot
Summary: He could always feel her watching him. TWOSHOT!
1. Chapter 1

_**/***NOMINATE, NOMINATE, NOMINATE YOUR FAVORITE STORIES AND AUTHORS IN THE SECOND ANNUAL PROFILER'S CHOICE CM AWARDS HOSTED BY CHIT CHAT ON AUTHOR'S CORNER FORUM! DON'T KNOW HOW? SEE AUTHOR'S NOTE AT THE END OF THIS CHAPTER!***/**_

* * *

**Spying the Spy**

**Chapter One**

She was spying on him again.

He could feel it. Even now as he kept his eyes carefully glued to file on his desk, he could feel her watchful gaze on him.

Watching her watch him had become one of his favorite hobbies lately. Knowing someone cared about him, despite his often cool demeanor he used as a shield, provided just enough warmth to his heart to keep him from becoming completely jaded about the job they'd all chosen freely.

Except for him, the cost of his supposedly free choice had been a steep price to pay. The dissolution of his marriage, losing those few precious hours he'd found every night with the son they'd created together, his ex-wife's death at the hands of a psychotic killer he'd been responsible for baiting...all of it together had changed him.

And not for the better. Some things just couldn't be altered.

The losses he'd suffered in the past year and a half had changed him. While he might have gained custody of his son, it was in a way that he'd never wanted. Seeing the pain shining in his son's eyes everyday when the little boy remembered that his mother was gone diminished whatever joy Aaron felt at being a permanent presence in his child's life. Then first losing JJ to the DOD, then Emily to another psycho that had been waiting to fill The Reaper's shoes...it had almost broken him.

Almost. There had been one salvation left for him.

If not for the gentle woman currently pretending not to watch him, he might have lost his mind.

But her compassionate nature, her ability to find humor in even the grimmest situations, her ready smile and generally optimistic outlook on life…that's what had kept him going. Day by day, she'd wrapped herself around his heart a little tighter, ingratiated herself a little deeper within him.

When JJ had been pushed out of the Bureau, it had been her that had readily stepped up, offering to change herself to suit the needs of the team. Her attempt to reinvent herself had been in vain, though; Penelope Garcia epitomized the words "one of a kind". Her effort hadn't been lost on him, however. Any woman willing to don a boring black suit when she loved those bold "notice me" colors as much as she did definitely cared…far more than he had ever realized. It was then he'd began to notice just how far she was willing to go to make his life just the tiniest bit easier.

When they'd lost Emily, if he'd allowed himself to lean on anyone, it had been her. Her steadfast determination that each of them would survive yet another loss had propped him up in his weakest moments…which had been far more often than he cared to admit. Somehow, cups of coffee appeared on his desk when he walked through his office door in the morning, sandwiches had mysteriously appeared on his desk if he happened to leave his office for a trip to the bathroom during the lunch hour, and at least once a week a tin of his favorite cookies waited in his office chair. It shouldn't have surprised him that she was privy to the well-kept secret that he was addicted to oatmeal sandies…but it did. Her tender care had even carried over to his still confused son with impromptu field trips to the zoo...to the museum...to the ice cream parlor.

He half suspected she had his office bugged, since she anticipated his needs so well.

Of course, he knew she'd never invade his privacy in such a manner. At least, he thought he knew. Instead, he chose to believe that she could intuitively read his mind. It was a hell of a lot better than wondering if she had indeed engineered a way to gain her intel again in a less than professional manner. Although, with his Penelope, anything was possible. The woman was positively relentless when she wanted something.

And this time, he realized that he actually enjoyed the fact she was focusing her attention on him.

Hiding a smile as he heard the familiar click of her pumps coming up the metal stairwell to his office, he glanced at his clock.

She was right on time. Well, on her time. He had realized early on that Penelope Garcia observed her own special version of minutes and hours.

It was noon. That special time of the day when the bullpen cleared for an hour and she made her daily pilgrimage to check on him, whether she'd ever admit it or not. Even odds said she came armed with some random form in her hand that desperately required his signature. Little did she know that he was well aware of her unusual talent at forging his John Hancock on whatever she deemed necessary. If it had been anyone else taking such liberties, he'd have been livid. With Garcia, however, it was just par for his course.

And they both knew it.

Truthfully, he looked forward to this all too brief break each day, missing them immensely when he was away on a case. Just these few brief minutes in her distinctive company could lift his spirits, making even the darkest days a little brighter.

And he refused to dwell on the fact that he could no longer remember exactly when he started feeling this way. He refused to look a gift horse in the mouth, after all.

"Knock, knock, O Captain, my Captain," Penelope Garcia sang from his doorway, her bright purple nails tapping perfunctorily against his open door, careful to observe social niceties in some form or fashion. "You busy?" she asked with a sunny smile as she cocked her head and looked at him.

"For you?" Hotch asked dryly, finally lifting his head at the sound of her voice, knowing he wouldn't be forgiven for waiting too long. "I wouldn't dare be. Last time Rossi told you he was busy, I heard you put a flag in his credit report. I'd hate to suffer the same fate."

Although, he told himself as she winked in his direction, he might be willing to suffer if it meant he could stare at those beautiful eyes for just another minute.

* * *

_**Author's Note: Hello, Friends. A couple of announcements for all of you. First, you still have approximately SEVEN days to sign up for "The Masquerade Challenge" for October's on "Chit Chat on Author's Corner" forum. We also have a "Freaky Friday" mini-challenge in progress for those interested. Details for both can be found at the forum. We'd love to have all of you sign up. I think we'll have a lot of fun this Halloween Season.**_

_**Second, you all have a little less more than three weeks left to nominate stories for the second Annual Profiler's Choice CM Awards. The nomination ballot, rules and category summaries can be found at "Chit Chat on Author's Corner" forum. To reach that post please either take a trip to the forum OR links are provided on the profile pages of ilovetvalot, Profiler's Choice CM Awards AND tonnie2001969. Nomination ballots should be PM'd to the Profiler's Choice CM Awards ONLY. That link is also provided on the forum or the profile pages listed above. PLEASE REMEMBER, WITHOUT NOMINATED STORIES, THERE CAN BE NO AWARDS! SO, PLEASE, COME OUT AND SUPPORT YOUR FAVORITE FANFIC AUTHORS AND NOMINATE THOSE STORIES. **_

_**ALSO, we would love for our fellow author's to assist us in advertising these awards! Please feel free to copy and paste anything in this author's note or contact us for a pre-written blurb if you like.**_

_**And, please, everyone, feel free to join us over on Facebook! Simply search for "Ilovetvalot Fanfiction" and friend me. We have scores of authors connected together and we'd love to see you there! **_

_**As ever, we appreciate every single one of you that takes the time to read and/or review our stories. Your valuable feedback is deeply appreciated and we love hearing from you!**_

_**And, if we haven't stated it before, we do not own Criminal Minds, but darn, we wish we did!**_

_*******_** SPECIAL NOTE: For whatever reason, disabled the Profiler's Choice Awards PM system. That means all attempts to submit ballots failed from September 11 - 16. Could you all please help spread the word that anyone who tried to submit a ballot during this period listed above should RESEND their submissions. I am very sorry for any inconvenience this has caused. We really need help reaching all the different ships out there though. So, PLEASE, those willing to help, let me know if you can include this as part of your author's notes to readers.*****


	2. Chapter 2

_**/***NOMINATE, NOMINATE, NOMINATE YOUR FAVORITE STORIES AND AUTHORS IN THE SECOND ANNUAL PROFILER'S CHOICE CM AWARDS HOSTED BY CHIT CHAT ON AUTHOR'S CORNER FORUM! DON'T KNOW HOW? SEE AUTHOR'S NOTE AT THE END OF THIS CHAPTER!***/**_

* * *

**Spying the Spy**

**Chapter Two**

"A vicious rumor that's been misreported by a less than trustworthy informant," Garcia defended mutinously, her dimple chin lifting defiantly as she narrowed her eyes.

"Dave told me," Hotch replied drolly, lifting a dark eyebrow.

"Oh," Penelope said weakly, deflating somewhat. Pasting a winning smile on her bright red lips, she blinked coyly at Hotch as she swayed innocently from side to side, "Then I suppose there might be a teensy kernel of truth in the tale. But...,"

Holding up a hand, Hotch stared back at her with amusement, "Let me guess. He deserved every single call he had to make to the Credit Bureau."

"Something like that," Penelope agreed as she winked, turning to close his office door. "But, on the upside," she informed him over her shoulder brightly, "he hasn't told me he was too busy for me again."

"Wise guy." Hotch nodded, dropping his pen on his desk blotter as he admired the curve of her backside when she bent to pick up the form she'd dropped on the floor. Mentally slapping himself for his momentary lapse in professionalism, Hotch forced his eyes away from her rump. Lascivious thoughts about Penelope Garcia were definitely not allowed…not at all. Lately though, he'd had to strive for decorum. His eyes had drifted into her dipping cleavage more than once in recent months.

"Probably in a past life," Penelope joked, waving a bejeweled hand in the air. "But I think our Agent Rossi walks the straight and narrow now," she added pointedly, poking fun at his word choice. "Of course, I'm fairly certain he now knows better than to pull his Godfather act on me."

"Cute," Hotch snorted, rolling his eyes, enjoying the levity that she always managed to provide. "Got something for me?" he asked, nodding toward the sheet in her hand.

"Just the usual bureaucratic BS," Pen sighed, remembering she actually had thought to prepare a cover story today before she'd popped in on her hunky boss. Oh, if only she was brave enough to try to see to more than just his mundane needs. Sure, she could make sure her Prince ate, she thought, tightening her fingers around the deli bag she held in her other hand, but there were so many more of his primal needs she'd love to fill. "I came with a bribe for your little sign-off though," she said as she smiled, sliding the paper bag toward him across his polished desk.

Opening the bag, Hotch sniffed appreciatively, knowing what the contents were by the scent alone. "Roast beef on rye from Avanni's," he murmured, the aroma wafting tantalizingly around him. "This must be big," he said, raising his head to gaze at her expectantly.

"I even remembered to tell them to put that gourmet honey mustard on it," Penelope purred, lifting her eyes to the ceiling to avoid his eyes. For some reason, she knew at that moment that he could read her mind.

"Really big," Hotch chuckled, reaching for the standard requisition form on the corner of his desk. Scanning it, he choked back a laugh as he shook his head. "Seriously?" he managed to ask, looking at her angelic face again. "Even if you manage to get this past me, Strauss is gonna shoot you down."

"We need that printer," Penelope offered stoutly, jabbing a manicured finger toward the single page lying on his desk. "I might have mangled the one in my office beyond repair when I kicked it this morning."

"You've resorted to violence with one of your babies?" Aaron gasped, his eyes widening as he arched his brows.

"That thing wasn't a baby," Pen snorted, crossing her arms under her breasts, her lip pouched out. "It was a demon spawn Strauss picked out. This," she corrected, turning the office catalog toward the man of her dreams, "could be one of my babies."

His eyes skimmed the picture dispassionately even while his lips twitched. "It's neon pink and if I'm not mistaken, it'll glow in the dark, Garcia," Hotch pointed out needlessly.

"And since I tend to work into the wee hours of the morning toiling for my BAU buddies, that'll come in handy. Besides, the color won't affect the printer's functionality," she offered gamely, her argument well prepared. After all, she was a member of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, wasn't she? No stone left unturned in her world and all that jazz.

"The grey one is two hundred dollars cheaper," Hotch volleyed, his eyes twinkling as he took a moment to enjoy the small battle that had been dropped right in front of him.

"It's dull. No character at all," Garcia stated matter of factly, wrinkling her nose at the photograph at the standard office issue printer. "Does that sound like equipment I'd want darkening my office, my liege?"

"Are you going to tell me that office equipment has an aura, Penelope?" Hotch asked, fighting to keep a straight face.

"Don't have to tell ya, Boss Man. Sounds to me like you already know," Pen replied quickly, her eyes twinkling. "Now, you wouldn't deprive your poor, overworked techie of her new toy, would you?" Penelope mock pouted, her rosy lips forming a perfect moue.

Swallowing quickly as his heart beat a little faster, Hotch felt his trousers tighten dangerously as she batted her long eyelashes at him. Dropping his head as he quickly scribbled his name across the bottom of her request, he shook his head. "Wouldn't dare. Besides, Strauss will do it for me and she can face your considerable wrath."

"Doubt it," Penelope said happily, bending over his shoulder to reach for the completed form. Trailing her fingers across his back as she walked back around his desks, her hips swaying seductively, she turned her head and wriggled her eyebrows at him. "I know what she and Anderson were really doing in the copy room last weekend, thanks to my trusty security camera surveillance." Laughing as the normally unflappable Unit Chief's jaw dropped, she reached for the door knob. "Eat your sandwich before it gets cold," she ordered, waving a hand at the bag on his desk and blowing him a kiss as she departed.

And just like that, she was gone, the solid door closing in her chipperly bossy wake, her pert ass bouncing down the hallway.

Shaking his head, Hotch blinked slowly, shifting uncomfortably in his office chair as he tried to adjust his slacks in a way that didn't threaten to unman him.

Ruefully, he groaned as he realized motion didn't alleviate his problem, and, not for the first time, he cursed the fates.

His newest hobby of spying on his spy was going to be the death of him. But, he had to admit, it'd be a hell of a way to go.

* * *

_**Finis**_

_**Author's Note: Hello, Friends. A couple of announcements for all of you. First, you still have approximately FIVE days to sign up for "The Masquerade Challenge" for October's on "Chit Chat on Author's Corner" forum. We also have a "Freaky Friday" mini-challenge in progress for those interested. Details for both can be found at the forum. We'd love to have all of you sign up. I think we'll have a lot of fun this Halloween Season.**_

_**Second, you all have a little less more than three weeks left to nominate stories for the second Annual Profiler's Choice CM Awards. The nomination ballot, rules and category summaries can be found at "Chit Chat on Author's Corner" forum. To reach that post please either take a trip to the forum OR links are provided on the profile pages of ilovetvalot, Profiler's Choice CM Awards AND tonnie2001969. Nomination ballots should be PM'd to the Profiler's Choice CM Awards ONLY. That link is also provided on the forum or the profile pages listed above. PLEASE REMEMBER, WITHOUT NOMINATED STORIES, THERE CAN BE NO AWARDS! SO, PLEASE, COME OUT AND SUPPORT YOUR FAVORITE FANFIC AUTHORS AND NOMINATE THOSE STORIES. **_

_**ALSO, we would love for our fellow author's to assist us in advertising these awards! Please feel free to copy and paste anything in this author's note or contact us for a pre-written blurb if you like.**_

_**And, please, everyone, feel free to join us over on Facebook! Simply search for "Ilovetvalot Fanfiction" and friend me. We have scores of authors connected together and we'd love to see you there! **_

_**As ever, we appreciate every single one of you that takes the time to read and/or review our stories. Your valuable feedback is deeply appreciated and we love hearing from you!**_

_**And, if we haven't stated it before, we do not own Criminal Minds, but darn, we wish we did!**_

_*******_** SPECIAL NOTE: For whatever reason, disabled the Profiler's Choice Awards PM system. That means all attempts to submit ballots failed from September 11 - 16. Could you all please help spread the word that anyone who tried to submit a ballot during this period listed above should RESEND their submissions. I am very sorry for any inconvenience this has caused. We really need help reaching all the different ships out there though. So, PLEASE, those willing to help, let me know if you can include this as part of your author's notes to readers.*****


End file.
